


Agony

by BlackCanine



Series: Almighty Bloody Chemistry [5]
Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 04:24:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/657982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackCanine/pseuds/BlackCanine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jeremy and Kol deal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Agony

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place near the end of episode 3.22 "The Departed".
> 
> I do not own _The Vampire Diaries_ or any of its characters. There is no profit gained from writing or publishing this story.

“But if you’re dead, that means Elena…” the sentence dies in Jeremy’s lips, for there's no need for confirmation. Jeremy feels the air leave his lungs, Alaric might have as well physically punched him in the gut.

“N-No, no,” Jeremy mutters with trembling lips. It's a familiar pain. He’s felt it when he lost his parents, when they found Vicki’s body, when Anna died. Only this time it washes over him tenfold. Alaric’s ghost watchs the young kid with impotence, futilely trying to reach out to him and place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I am so sorry, Jeremy.”

Tears fall from Jeremy’s eyes as he sits on the steps of the stair and burries his face inside his hands. This can’t be happening again, he can’t keep losing his family. And then it hits him: he has nobody left to lose anymore, since over the course of the past two years he's said goodbye to every single person Jeremy thought of as family. He's all alone now, except for the ghost of his dead guardian. He wonders. How did it happen? Whose hands are to blame? And what about Matt, is he okay? Were he and Matt ultimately the cause of Elena’s death? He doesn’t think he can live with that burden on his shoulders.

Jeremy sobs quietly inside his hands and knows without looking that Alaric has taken seat beside him. At least in some way he still has him, he thinks futilely to comfort himself.

The doorbell rings and Jeremy gets on his feet to get it. There will surely be a parade of people showing up at his doorstep that night. But the first visitor he gets is unexpected: Kol is standing outside with a despaired look on his face that surely matches his.

“Kol…” he mumbles and feels Alaric’s ghost approaching protectively behind him.

“What is he doing here?” Alaric asks.

“Can I come in?” Kol says with trembling voice.

“Jeremy, I just killed his brother. Don’t let him in,” Alaric warns.

And that explained the utter devastation in Kol’s eyes. Jeremy doesn’t think he’s ever seen the vampire look so vulnerable, so completely destroyed. Somehow, he doesn’t think Kol's there for retribution. Somehow he feels safe. He pulls the door wide open and nods silently at Kol.

“Come in,” he whispers and doesn’t miss the dumbfounded look in Alaric’s face.

“Jeremy, what are you doing?” he asks alarmed as he sees Kol crossing the threshold and Jeremy closing the door behind him. His surprise reaches even higher levels when the Original throws himself at Jeremy’s arms and Jeremy hugs him back, holding Kol so tight he's sure he could break him, were he an ordinary human.

They stand like that for a while before Alaric’s bewildered eyes, Kol sobbing and Jeremy crying silently. Agony, Jeremy thinks, that’s how agonizing must feel, since not even when Bonnie was chanting to stop his heart in the woods he felt such an intense hemorrhage of life, like it's literally bleeding out of him. Kol’s pain is no different, as they both hold each other like it's all they can do to keep from turning into dust. Kol looks up at Jeremy pleadingly, as if asking what is he supposed to feel at the moment.

“I can’t believe he’s gone,” he says softly, “and Elena… I can’t believe we both lost a sibling today,” he murmurs. Then it dawns on Jeremy.

“Wait. If Klaus is dead, does that mean…?” That means Tyler and Caroline and Stefan and Damon and Bonnie’s mom… His head can’t even begin to compute the full implications of Klaus’ death.

“They live,” Kol says quickly, noticing Jeremy’s alarmed look, “all of them. We don’t even know how.”

“Wasn’t Klaus the one who…”

“Yes, he was.”

Jeremy turns to look at Alaric, who is as surprised as him.

“But wait, by killing an Original you kill the entire bloodline. We saw what happened to Sage after Finn died,” Alaric says, puzzled.

Kol doesn’t miss the way Jeremy’s attention suddenly focuses on the wall next to them.

“What… who? Who else is here? Jeremy?” he asks in confusion.

“Don’t tell him. He knows I’m the one who killed his brother and you know he’s volatile,” Alaric warns.

“Jeremy?” Kol repeats.

Jeremy is fully aware of Kol’s temperamental mood swings. Hell, he’s experienced them himself, but as he looks into Kol’s red eyes all he sees is sorrow, not danger. With a big sigh, Jeremy answers.

“Alaric is here,” he says simply and Kol’s eyes widen.

“Alaric?” he mumbles in a haze and looks alternatively at Jeremy and the spot where Alaric is standing. It shocks Alaric the way Kol’s eyes find the exact location where his ghostly self stand. He's staring so intently Alaric wonders for a second if the vampire can actually see him. Kol looks at the empty space, gaping. He looks so helpless, Alaric thinks, devastated, just like Jeremy. Like he said, he's also lost a sibling tonight.

“Tell him I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, tell him I chose to die before putting anyone in harm’s way. Tell him I am truly sorry for everything that happened tonight,” Alaric says, his voice full with regret.

“He says he’s sorry,” Jeremy relays. “He was willing to die to prevent any of this.”

“I know, I know,” Kol sobs, “God, I know all there is to know and it still hurts!” he explodes suddenly. “I know my brother brought this upon himself, I know his death was more my mother’s doing than anyone else’s, I know everything. But he’s still my brother!” he exclaims in tears, “he was,” he corrects himself with a broken voice, “and I loved him,” he finishes weakly and Jeremy’s arms once again surround him.

Alaric watches the two men comforting each offer in front of him. Never in a million years he would have guessed that Jeremy, so hell-bent on having a normal life away from vampires and werewolves and witches, would become so close to an Original. And at that moment, Alaric can’t see a trace of the violent irascible vampire he’s heard of. All there is in Kol’s face is the mourning of a profound loss.

“You’re shaking so much,” Kol notes as he holds Jeremy’s arms like he can will them to stop trembling. “You should take something,” he says finally, “like tea or whatever.”

Jeremy seems to agree with him and heads to the kitchen. He seriously doubts some tea will do him any good, but at least it would keep his hands busy. Maybe his abilities as a medium are getting stronger or maybe he and Alaric had simply been too close, because Jeremy doesn’t need to turn around to know Alaric’s ghost is following him.

“How long?” Alaric asks as Jeremy fills the kettle with water. Kol was right, his entire body is shaking.

“Since Denver,” Jeremy mutters, fully aware that Kol can hear his seemingly unilateral conversation from the couch where he settled, futilely trying to give some space to his lover and the ghost of his late guardian.

“Did you know who he was?” Alaric inquires.

“Not at first,” Jeremy says and Kol doesn’t have to strain himself to know what Alaric’s question had been.

“Is it serious, whatever it is you two have?”

“I don’t know,” Jeremy admits.

They all wait silently for the tea to be ready. Kol and Alaric with their eyes set on Jeremy, who has his own on the boiling kettle, absorbed in his own thoughts.

“You’re playing with fire here, Jeremy,” Alaric says finally.

“I know,” Jeremy acknowledges.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Alaric,” Kol suddenly intervenes, guessing their conversation. Both ghost and human turn to look at him as he stand by the kitchen counter.

“I am sick of this,” he continued, “I’m tired, I am so fucking tired. There have been enough deaths on all sides.” And Alaric can’t help wincing at the thought. The body count at this point is preposterous.

“Do you trust him?” Alaric asks Jeremy.

“I do,” Jeremy says. His voice barely a choked whisper, but the statement was firm nonetheless.

“Just be careful,” Alaric warns and Jeremy’s nod at that is almost imperceptible.

“I’ll take good care of him,” Kol says, “I promise.” And after a while Alaric gives a pointless nod, since the vampire can’t really see it.

When the tea is ready both Jeremy and Kol settle on the couch, with Alaric sitting on a nearby chair. Jeremy holds his mug without really drinking the beverage. He just sits there, thinking.

“Do you know how she died?” he suddenly asks Kol, who has his arm protectively around Jeremy’s shoulder. The vampire takes a deep breath and braces himself.

“It was Rebekah,” Kol admits, “she took it on her after she realized our brother was dead,” and Kol feels Jeremy stiffen under him.

Somehow putting a name on who was responsible makes the loss all the more real. Jeremy’s hands tremble and Kol takes Jeremy’s mug to place it on the table so it won’t spill.

“Sometimes I wish I’d never learnt vampires are real,” Jeremy spits bitterly but doesn’t shrug Kol off, “why couldn’t you just be some guy who made fun of how much I suck at baseball?” he asks sadly and at the same time he leans over to Kol’s embrace.

And what is Kol supposed to say to that? He resolves not to say anything, and instead tightens his arm around the boy’s frame. No more words come out of Jeremy’s mouth, or from anyone else’s for that matter. They all just sit there, human, ghost and vampire, silently mourning their loved ones. And then it occurres to Alaric. Right after he died he went straight to Jeremy, ‘cause he knew he would see him. Why hasn’t Elena showed up? Jeremy is clearly thinking of her, so where is she? An unsettling thought forms in Alaric’s mind. It is possible, he realizes, that Kol isn’t the only vampire Jeremy will have to invite into the house tonight.


End file.
